PUMA Ocean Racing, skippered by Ken Read (Newport, USA), is proud to announce that New England Boatworks Inc. has been contracted to build PUMA’s new Volvo 70 for the upcoming VOLVO OCEAN RACE 2011-2012.  Design for this latest generation round the world race yacht will be provided by Valencia based Naval Architecture firm Juan Yacht Design.  Juan Kouyoumdjian’s designs have a perfect record in the VOR since the inception of the Volvo Open 70 Rule. They are credited with designing the 2006 VOR winner ABN AMRO One and the 2009 VOR winner Ericsson 4.

The project is still in the early stages, with molds currently in production.  Read, speaking to the newly formed NEB/PUMA Ocean Racing build team, confirmed that this new project will take full advantage of the years of experience assembled between the PUMA build group and NEB’s boatbuilding team. After placing second in the last Volvo Ocean Race in 2009 Read insisted that the PUMA program will utilize all the hard-earned experience gained during the last race to give the team a great starting point.  “We feel that PUMA Ocean Racing has an advantage by keeping the construction of all the major components for this project close to our home base in Newport,” said Read. “Fortunately, NEB provides our team the perfect facility and team to build what we hope is the finest boat ever constructed for this type of race.”

NEB has proven offshore boat building experience, with projects that include the Whitbread 60, TOSHIBA for the 1997 Whitbread Round-the-World Race.  “These boats are designed to withstand the harshest conditions, and we’re proud to have this opportunity to showcase NEB on a global level,” said NEB partners Tom Rich, Steven Casella and David MacBain.

PUMA will launch and begin sea trials in Spring 2011 out of their training base at the Newport Shipyard.

“Mission accomplished.  il mostro crossed the finish line at 7:41 local Bermuda time this morning and our whole team is very pleased with the results.  We spent the entire race sailing around all the big boats, and we were able to hold our own.  Our finish of second place overall is an accomplishment our whole team is proud of.”

“This race threw a lot of light-air  upwind sailing at us- not prefect conditions for a Volvo 70.  But we more than held our own, sailed well, and finished second boat for boat behind the 100 foot Speedboat.  We had some good competition out there and that helped our team to get into ‘race-mode’.  The crew is communicating well, which is key at this early stage in the program.  We’ll use what we learned about how we work as a team and build on that as we move forward in our training.”

“For now we’re very pleased to be in Bermuda.  We’ll squeeze in a round of golf and a few Dark and Stormies before we head out Tuesday night for another training session back to Newport.”

-Ken Read, Skipper PUMA Ocean Racing powered by Berg Propulsion

Kimo Worthington is the man in charge of all things shore and sailing here at PUMA.  As the GM of our team, Kimo is always busy but some how managers to keep the program running smoothing.  He caught up with Sailing Anarchy TV yesterday at our offices in the Newport Shipyard.

It was a late night but PUMA’s il mostro safely arrived into the Newport Shipyard after completing a 14 day transatlantic crossing.  The core team, led by skipper Ken Read sailed a “racing delivery” back to Rhode Island, officially kicking off training for the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12.  Newport will serve as the training ground of PUMA’s new Volvo campaign.  The team will sail il mostro until their new boat is completed early 2011.

A special thanks to Sail Newport who welcomed the PUMA crew home with a crowd, burgers and Rum & Coke.

photo credits: Leighton O’Connor

Today Ken Read, skipper of PUMA Ocean Racing, announced his core crew and management team for the upcoming Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012. The team departs Alicante, Spain today to bring il mostro, PUMA Ocean Racing’s boat that secured a 2nd place finish in the last Volvo Ocean Race, back to Newport, Rhode Island where the team will immediately start training for the next race. il mostro will serve as the team’s training boat until a new boat, which will compete in the 2011-12 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race, is completed.

PUMA has named Juan Yacht Design, of Valencia, Spain as the lead boat designer of the new PUMA Ocean Racing yacht. Juan Kouyoumdjian’s designs have a perfect record in the VOR since the inception of the Volvo Open 70 Rule. They are credited with designing the 2006 VOR winner, ABN AMRO 1 and the 2009 VOR winner, Ericsson 4.

“The decision to go with Juan to design PUMA’s new boat was a major step forward for the program, and set in motion a number of key hires that have formed the nucleus of the team,” said Skipper Ken Read.

Two new key members of the team include multiple Volvo Ocean Race winners, Brad Jackson and Tony Mutter. Each sailor was integral to the winning teams in both the 2006 and 2009 races. Jackson is a three-time winner of the VOR and will serve as design coordinator for PUMA Ocean Racing, mixing the sailing team’s input with Juan Kouyoumdjian’s creative and technical expertise. Mutter is a two-time VOR winner and will run the aero program, working closely with Steve Calder of North Sails and mast designer, Scott Ferguson. While sailing, Tony and Brad will also serve as watch captains. Returning from PUMA’s 2009 campaign is bowman and systems manager Casey Smith. “When the boat breaks offshore Casey has to fix it, so having him be part of design process with the build team early on will save us a lot with durability down the road,” explained Read. Rob Greenhalgh also rejoins the PUMA crew after being a late but welcomed addition in the last race. Returning shore-team members include: Kimo Worthington, General Manager, and Tim Hacket, who will serve as the Shore Team Manager.

New sailing team members include navigator Tom Addis (Telefonica Blue co-navigator), Jono Swain (Telefonica Blue watch captain) and Andrew Lewis (Rambler trimmer and ABN AMRO 2 tactician). “The decisions we make now are the ones that will create success in this race, and having this team of veterans involved early certainly increases our chances to make proper decisions,” said Read of the team assembled so far. “Not only do we have a team that can sail a boat fast, but we have a team that understands what it takes to compete in a race like the Volvo. Great attitudes, great skills, which hopefully increases our chances for success.”

Cumulatively, the management and sailing team for PUMA Ocean Racing shares a level of success difficult to match with 20 Volvo Ocean Race entries and 14 America’s Cup editions. Collectively, the core team holds eight 24-hour mono hull speed records.The Volvo Ocean Race begins October 2011 in Alicante, Spain and ends in Galway, Ireland in June 2012. The eight stopovers in between include: Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya (China), Auckland, Itajaí (Brazil), Miami, Lisbon and Lorient (France). PUMA continues to produce and expand their line of sailing performance gear and remains the first Sportlifestyle company to participate in a venture of this kind. PUMA will also be the official supplier of all Volvo Ocean Race merchandise.

PUMA Ocean Racing Sailing Team:

Ken Read, 48 (Rhode Island, United States)
Skipper
Considered to be one of the world’s most accomplished racers, Read was in charge of PUMA Ocean Racing and at the helm of PUMA’s il mostro throughout the entire Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009. The U.S.-born Read has twice helmed America’s Cup programs in 2000 and 2003 and was named “United States Rolex Yachtsman of the Year” twice and has 46 World, North American and National Championships to his credit.

Tom Addis, 40 (Sydney, Australia)
Navigator
Addis, a trained meteorologist, joins PUMA as a navigator after sailing with Telefonica Blue during the Volvo, taking two leg wins. Tom has sailed thousands of offshore miles onboard Maxi Alfa Romero, winning both Sydney-Hobart and Transpac races. Addis also sailed with America’s Cup Team New Zealand in 2007.

Rob Greenhalgh, 32 (Hamble, United Kingdom)
Helmsman & Trimmer
2009 18’ Skiff World Champion, Greenhalgh is back with PUMA after joining the crew during the 08/09 race. Greenhalgh was a vital part of PUMA’s last campaign and served as tactician for Ken Read during in port racing and watch captain offshore. Rob has sailed two previous Volvo Ocean Races and was part of the crew, along with Tony Mutter and Brad Jackson, who won the race with ABN AMRO 1 during the 05/06 edition of the race.

Brad Jackson: 42 (Auckland, New Zealand)
Design Coordinator & Watch Captain
Named New Zealand Sailor of the Year in 2009, Jackson has sailed the Volvo Ocean Race five times, numerous Sydney-Hobarts, Fastnets and Trans-Atlantics. Jackson was a member of the Ericsson 4 boat that won the VOR 2008-2009 and has been part of three 24-hour monohull speed records. In addition to his role as watch captain, Jackson will serve as design coordinator for the PUMA program, mixing the sailors’ input with Juan K’s creative and technical expertise.

Andrew “Junior” Lewis: 27 (Honolulu, United States)
Trimmer & Driver
Lewis will be one of the three under-30 sailors onboard PUMA’s new boat. Lewis has logged thousands of offshore miles, sailing onboard ABN AMRO 2 during the VOR 05/06 race and on Rambler during the record breaking Transatlantic Race and Middle Sea races. Lewis also has a long list of honors for inshore racing ranging from the Laser Class and America’s Cup. He was part of the monohull record-breaking crew of ABN AMRO 2 during the 05/06 race.

Tony Mutter, 41 (Auckland, New Zealand)
Aerodynamics Coordinator & Watch Captain
Mutter joins PUMA after sailing onboard Volvo Ocean Race 08/09 winner Ericsson 4. Mutter has sailed four Volvos, five Fastnet Races and five Maxi Worlds. He has been part of three Volvo crews where the 24-hour monohull record has been broken. As aerodynamics coordinator, he will work closely with North Sails to design the next generation of VO70 sails. Tony will sail onboard for PUMA as watch captain.

Casey Smith, 31 (Brisbane, Australia)
Systems Manager & Bowman
Smith joined the crew of PUMA’s il mostro for the Volvo Ocean Race 08/09 as one of the under 30’s. Smith was instrumental in repairing structural damages to il mostro during the last race. And was honored for the sportsmanship award for his efforts in replacing il mostro’s rudder during the Leg 7 Trans-Atlantic crossing. Smith has sailed the 08/09 Volvo Ocean Race and numerous Sydney-Hobart races and Trans-Atlantic crossings.

Jonathan “Jono” Swain, 43 (Durban, South Africa)
Helmsman & Trimmer
Jono Swain comes to PUMA with experience in four Volvo Ocean Races, most recently as watch captain onboard Telefonica Blue. Swain is considered an “all around sailor,” mixing offshore experience with an impressive inshore resume which includes and America’s Cup campaign, Louis Vuitton Series and trimming on Mean Machine.

PUMA Ocean Racing Shore Team Management:

Kimo Worthington, 50 (California, United States)
General Manager
Kimo Worthington has a rare combination of management expertise onshore and leadership on the water. His professional sailing career includes competing in six America’s Cups, including a win with America3 in 1992, and numerous offshore miles. In the 1997-98 Whitbread Round the World Race, Worthington was watch captain and sailing team manager for the winning EF Language team. In the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-2006 edition he served as General Manager for second place Pirates of the Caribbean and in the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009 he was general manager for PUMA Ocean Racing.

Tim Hacket, 38 (Sydney, Australia)
Shore Team Manager
Tim Hacket has been building racing yachts for over 20 years. A native Australian, Tim is now based in Newport, Rhode Island. Tim’s experience includes four America’s Cup boat builds and two Volvo Ocean Race shore teams, mostly recently as part of PUMA’s Volvo 2008/09 campaign.

PUMA® announced today it will participate in the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012 after placing 2nd second overall in the 2008-2009 competition. The race, known as the “Everest of sailing,” begins in October 2011 in Alicante, Spain and ends in Galway, Ireland in June 2012. The eight stopovers in between include: Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya (China), Auckland, Itajaí (Brazil), Miami, Lisbon and Lorient (France).  The PUMA Ocean Racing team will once again be under the leadership of Skipper Ken Read.   PUMA continues to produce and expand their line of sailing performance gear and remains the first Sportlifestyle company to participate in a venture of this kind. PUMA will also be the official supplier of all Volvo Ocean Race merchandise.

“We are proud of PUMA Ocean Racing’s success in the last Volvo Ocean Race and look forward to the adventures this next race will bring,” said Jochen Zeitz, PUMA AG Chairman and CEO. “Both the team and the company hope to leverage the key lessons from the last VOR campaign in order to continue spreading the good will of the program and PUMA worldwide. The Volvo Ocean Race is one of the world’s iconic sporting events. It proved to be an extremely successful marketing tool for us and an important launch pad for the sailing product category. We look forward to building the sailing category even more throughout the next race, as well as expanding into other forms of outdoor lifestyle ventures.”

For the 2011-2012 race, PUMA Ocean Racing has proudly partnered with BERG Propulsion, one of the world’s leading designers and producers of Controllable Pitch Propellers for commercial shipping. BERG Propulsion products are designed and engineered with the reduction of adverse environmental impact in mind, striving to bring fuel savings and environmental benefits to every product.  This commitment to sustainability and strive for high performance makes them a perfect partner for PUMA.  The team will be known as PUMA Ocean Racing, powered by BERG Propulsion.
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Our friends at Scuttlebutt love their pranks on April 1st.  We have to admit, we did fall for one to two last year, but we’re not falling for that trick again.  Well played guys.

Ken Read, who famously introduced the PUMA lifestyle as skipper of their entry during the 2008-9 VOR, will be back again with a new program. Said Read, “While I enjoyed the PUMA gig, and the whole tiger thing on the sails was pretty trippy, I needed to get closer to my roots.” Look for Read to skipper CHUCK TAYLOR for Team Converse. “My relationship with Chuckies goes back to the ’85 SORC when our team gear consisted of a pile jacket and a pair of red high tops. We felt like kings back then, and I wanted that vibe again.”

HAPPY APRIL FOOLS DAY SAILORS!

From the Volvo Ocean Race website:

The final piece of the puzzle was revealed today when Auckland was announced as a stopover port for the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race. It will be the eighth time the City of Sails has featured in the event.

Auckland last hosted the event in 2001-02. This time it will stage the leg four finish from Sanya in China and the start of leg five, which will take the fleet into the Southern Ocean once again, round Cape Horn and onto Itajaí, Brazil.

With the confirmation of Auckland, the route for 2011-12 is now set and includes: start port of Alicante (Spain), Cape Town (South Africa), Abu Dhabi (UAE), Sanya (China), Auckland (New Zealand), Itajaí (Brazil), Miami (US), Lisbon (Portugal), Lorient (France) and the finish port of Galway (Ireland).

“Our host port programme around the world is now complete and I can confirm that Auckland has won its bid to become our stopover port in New Zealand,” said Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad.

“This announcement completes the route and our goal of contracting all the ports before the end of March 2010, significantly earlier than in previous race cycles. The preliminary course will be published during April.

“The people of Auckland have an immense appreciation of sailing, and the Volvo Ocean Race in particular. Many of the world’s best-known sailors are from New Zealand, and we are proud to bring the race back to the City of Sails, where we will be sure of a huge reception.” Read more

Volvo Ocean Race- Another piece of the 2011-12 race route fell into place today when Sanya, the resort city located on the southern coast of Hainan Province, China, was named as a stopover port.

Sanya becomes the second Chinese port in the history of the Volvo Ocean Race following Qingdao’s inclusion in the route for 2008-09. Sanya will host the finish of leg three, which starts from Abu Dhabi, for the latest edition.

In announcing Sanya’s selection as the sole Asian destinaton, Knut Frostad, the Volvo Ocean Race CEO, said: “The race was held very successfully in Qingdao and has inspired a passion among many Chinese people.

“It is with great pleasure that we are able to confirm that China will once again be part of the route for 2011-12 and it will be an honour to take the event to Sanya.”

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